CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES TO CARING LABOUR AND TIME-HONOURED TRANSFORMATIVE TOOLS: WORKPLACE BULLYING AND THEATRE OF THE OPPRESSED

Abstract

One manifestation of the ‘new managerialism’ in theCanadian health caresystem is the increase in workplace bullying. An occupational group especiallysusceptible to workplace bullying is Continuing Care Assistants (CCAs) whoprovide personal care to long-term care home residents and individuals in theirown homes in Saskatchewan. These foot soldiers of end-of-life care have noprofessional society or regulatory agency to advocate for their occupationalstatus and the social value of the work they perform. The paper argues thatworkplace bullying cannot be understood unless it is related to the socialstructure from which it derives. One underlying cause of bullying among CCAsis the reorganization of their work under current health care reforms. Potentialsolutions to workplace bullying must start with transformative processes rootedin an understanding of these larger contextual forces.